Last Call
by simpleruse
Summary: AU - Max can't sleep. She finds an unusual companion at Crash to keep her company. *If successful, I may make into a series of one shots.


With only a few bar patrons left including Max, Crash was winding down for the night. The bartender announced last call as Max sits nursing her beer, eyeing the clock above the bar. It read 2:05am. The time had been going at a snails pace ever since she sought out the comfort and reliability of alcohol to pass the time. Max had tossed and turned for the better part of the night. Thanks to Manticore, she didn't need much sleep to function, unlike everyone else. What's there to do while everyone is asleep but she is wide awake, bored, frustrated and alone?

Hearing the scraping of metal against the floor, she turns her eyes to the seat next to her, rolling her eyes in an exasperated sigh as she recognises Alec's mocking grin. "Hey Max, can't sleep either?"

"It sure looks that way" is her clipped reply, downing the remnants of her drink with one long swig.

"Two more" Alec calls over to the bartender, gesturing to the beer. The bartender nods in response reminding him of last call. Alec acknowledges by adding, "Sure thing. Oh and be so kind as to add this on to the lady's tab."

"Broke again, what a surprise." She eyes him with contempt, pitying the lowly existence of her fellow transgenic.

Pulling out a couple of bills to pay her bill, Max contemplates on either stiffing Alec or helping him out… again. Alec did owe her a lot. Not just money. It was Alec's fault she was still unable to touch Logan; to have a normal relationship after wasting a year of what could have been. Instead Max had whatever this thing between them was now…

She studies him for a second, watching as he raises the freshly poured beer in front of them up in a toast, clinking hers which still sat on the bar before taking a long swig of it. He notices her observation and halts, glass still touching his lips, but the contents were still resting precariously on the edge, "What?"

"Nothing" she sighs, choosing not to pursue her previous line of thinking. She couldn't keep blaming Alec for something that wasn't his fault to begin with. He had a part, but he had done so much since then to try and make it up to her. It was so much easier to use him as her punching bag, knowing that she still was unable to really crush Manticore. Sure the place was gone, for now. But sooner or later, she knew; another one was just going to take its place.

"It's just not like you Max, being so quiet, not tearing me down a peg or two. You sure you're alright?" Alec lifts his hand to press a palm against her forehead in mock sympathy, Max immediately swats it away, shifting as far away from him as possible in her bar stool. With a glare she snaps back, "Don't."

"Make me."

"Trust me, you're so gonna regret this."

"Nothing I haven't heard before, Maxie."

"Alec. I mean it." Max is now in his face, a hairsbreadth away from his lips.

Holding his hands up in defeat he just smirks. He's not intimidated in the least; he doesn't even flinch or move away from the close proximity which upsets Max all the more.

"Don't you have better things to do then sit and annoy me all night?" Max is the first to turn away, eyeing her beer instead. She wants him gone, but another part of her secretly hopes not. Max didn't want to be alone.

"But Max, you know I live just to torment you." Bumping shoulders, Alec leans in close to her ear to whisper, "You enjoy it. Admit it."

"I do not," she snaps back, moving away again. She glares at him, pushing him away and only hears a snicker in response. "You think way too much of yourself." She takes a swig of her beer ignoring his lingering stare.

"As do you, princess."

Taking a swig of his own, he empties his beer and places it back on the bar. Alec gets up, leans in close to Max and waits until she turns to look at him before saying, "We're the same. Like it or not, it's always just going to be you and me."

Reaching in to his jacket and before Max can deny the statement; Alec pulls out a wad of money, setting it down on the counter in front of Max's wide eyes.

"What's this?" She already knows what it is, but she needs to hear it from him.

He smiles, eyes looking down uncomfortably as he rubs his eyebrow. "An apology… I know it's too late… but I want you to have this." He waits until he finishes talking before letting himself look up at her again for her reaction. She's still stunned, letting her guard drop, she allows a small smile acknowledging and forgiving. The 'debt' between them is paid. Now there is no reason to condone her reasons for treating him badly anymore.

"Same time tomorrow," Alec doesn't ask, he lingers for a moment to give her a sincere smile before turning and walking away; leaving Max to watch him, still in shock and awe.

"Thank you," she whispers to herself, smiling. Max isn't going to be alone anymore.


End file.
